that was a very creepy episode, kinda reminds me of And Then There Were One
2-parters aside, this and Turn Left are perhaps the best sequential episodes New Who has ever seen. Categorically this episode is by far the best in character writing and ensemble performance the show has ever had, the only episode that comes close is The Waters Of Mars, but I'd argue its characters, whilst more purposeful and important as characters, the seemingly ordinary nature of not only the supporting cast, but the doctors outward appearance is part of the reason for the episodes success. Everyone seems to unanimously focus on the human irreverence and violent impulses of the supporting characters. But truthfully, the doctor is majorly outclassed in every sense of the word. His ego, his arrogance, his curiousity get the better of him at every turn. Dude doesn't even acknowledge this until after Waters of Mars, this for me defines the beginning of his god-complex time-lord Victorious arc. Insanely good.
This felt like a Big Finish Who story, and that's high praise. I prefer these type of episodes than the "oh no the world is at threat oh never mind the Doctor sorted it" melodramas.
9/10
What a Superb
Episode, self contained as
It is the performances
Are off the charts,
Definitely some of the best in Doctor Who.
Do you realise how super
Difficult it is to sync up
Like that with
lines/speech and then
To do it before/same
And after/same before
It's just flawless and I've
Never quite seen it done
Ever in any other show.
It's Brilliant and a genius
Idea. I know they had financial difficulties that's
Why this episode was so
Contained due to money troubles at the time but
Holy-smokes if that kind of troubles gets us quality episodes like this well this proves money isn't everything because you can throw millions per episode and it be a complete Shit-Show
(Cough rings of power)
Are you can have a
Very very limited budget
And get something as
Super frickin awesome
As this.
Those people were absolute assholes
And really showed the
Psychological effects of
Fear in humans,
Brings out the best
Brings out the worst.
I hated them, but
That was the point
So job done.
The sky monster
Was Awesome and
Scary and rather unique
And new, loved that.
Highlight of the episode
Was seeing
Rose yes seeing Rose
Again pop up behind
The Doctor.
Gives me such hope,
I miss her so
Very very much.
Right time to rap
This season up with
A Phenomenal Trilogy
Definitely saved the absolute
Best of the best for last
And after this nothing will
Ever be the same Ever
Again.
This episode always creeps me out one of the best episodes though.
Best of the season thus far.
I don’t like Donna. I thought I was alone then I found others also don’t like her.
So, why producers hired her? She appeared before Martha in “Christmas special episode”. Nobody liked her that time also. Why would they replace Martha with an unpopular character. What is the logic?
That's another stellar episode of Doctor Who - maybe Russell T. Davies' best script for the show? It's a perfect bottle episode (dare I say the best bottle episode of television apart from Breaking Bad's Fly?) A great slice of Twilight Zone-esque brilliance at its finest. Lesley Sharp is terrific. This run from The Unicorn and the Wasp to Journey's End is pretty much perfection.
Pretty strong episode, but you have to be pretty stupid to think that the entity passed into The Doctor.
I guess it was a commentary on fear, panic and herd mentality.
PS. Notice how the producers realize that EVERYONE hates Donna?
1. The constant cameos from The Doctor's past and future companions.
2. All the times they tease us with her departure and/or death.
3. Really long stretches of episodes where she just isn't around for whatever reason.
I'm watching this for the 1st time around 11 years late, but I imagine that picking Donna as The Doctor's companion back then was not a popular choice.
Like an anxiety inducing episode of The Twilight Zone.
This episode made me feel like I was watching The Twilight Zone.
My anxiety level was through the roof with this one. Every time someone lost their shit I thought one of my veins was going to burst ...so intense :joy:
So I guess the actors did a good job at conveying the episode :type_4:♀
Ending was a bit of a letdown but still a great episode.
Review by TshepisoBlockedParentSpoilers2023-11-01T17:04:34Z
This episode is so fucked up i don't even know how to process it. Legitimately terrifying in a way Doctor Who episode rarely are. The psychological warfare in this episode is so deeply unsettling.
The supporting cast really carries here. They're painfully frustrating but in a deeply human way. This episode is structured brilliantly; we we the ast them as normal people A family on vacation, the under appreciated research assistant and old professor, the divorcee on her first solo holiday. And the episode devolves them to their base selves through fear and paranoia brilliantly. Also i loved them being saved by the Stewards sacrifice. INit only do i love it when someone other than the Doctor saves he day but it ties her line about it being "her responsibility to keep everyone safe" really well.
This was also a great episode for Ten's character. While other episodes have chastised the thrill he sees in danger (Tooth and Claw, The Unicorn and the Wasp etc.) I loved seeing the deadly consequences his posture had here. All of the things the Doctor used regularly to gain people's trust were thrown back at him. And his arrogance and curiosity damned him.
How fundamentally helpless the Doctor is is great. Ultimately the Doctor's strength his his voice and his mind. Given how many of the Doctor saves come from him talking his way out of danger of taking that away from him was a brilliant concept perfectly executed. How fucked up everything is is punctuated was the conclusion. he seems so violently shaken by the experience in a haunting way.